MMOsite is reporting that Blade & Soul will be entering Closed Beta even earlier than Guild Wars 2. Indeed, according to the MMOsite report, Closed Beta for Blade & Soul will begin sometime within the first half of 2010!

Also mentioned in the MMOsite article is a quote from NCsoft CEO Kim Tae Jin, stating that console versions for both Blade & Soul and Guild Wars 2 are being developed in parallel to the PC version:

"Blade and Soul and Guild Wars 2 in the console version are under development. The console market is deemed suitable for release and will allow parallel development."

What console or consoles can we expect to see Blade & Soul and Guild Wars 2 on? No one knows at the moment, but we've certainly got our ears perked!

Via MMOsite.

Shu wrote:terra does look nice heh.but i think in the end we have to test both game to see which one is nicer to us

Shu wrote:sorri gen.for some reason i do not like c9 as much as b&s or terra lolz.

i will only commit to testing ffxiv.as for other mmo.will depend on my
time.might play but also might just let other lead.but i will test
b&s and terra to help give my review to u guys as to which mmo is
better

we do have a lot of former guild leaders in our community that can lead well.they are just lazy hehe

Shu wrote:sorri gen.for some reason i do not like c9 as much as b&s or terra lolz.

i will only commit to testing ffxiv.as for other mmo.will depend on my
time.might play but also might just let other lead.but i will test
b&s and terra to help give my review to u guys as to which mmo is
better

we do have a lot of former guild leaders in our community that can lead well.they are just lazy hehe

More Q&A with Blade & Soul PD and AD


It looks like the TIG’s 47 Q&A was a compilation rather than an
exclusive interview with the PD and AD. Several Korean webzines and
websites wrote similar Q&A articles. However, TIG left out some
interesting questions and answers. I visited about 10~15 different
websites and game portals to collect the missing q&a. Also, the
admin at bascentral.com
discovered TIG’s video interview which contains an important detail
not mentioned in the TIG’s 47 Q&A. Thanks to bascentral.com for the
information, and the translation is done by vigevano.
From gamemeca.com’s article:


Q: In the video, a character was able to climb and run
vertically(?
A: There are several skills like that(**NOTE: he’s referring to “swift
jump” skill which I lamely called mid-air-dash skill). With them,
players will be able to jump from cliffs and reach the other side and
run a long distance instantly. This will in effect remove the stress of
traveling in game. There is a clear difference in creating a large
world and having a lot of content.
Q: What’s the meaning behind the title “Blade & Soul”?
A: I meant it literally. In martial-arts genre, the sword is the most
important component. Blade & Soul means that the piece of iron
interacts with the soul of the owner.
Q: What’s the system requirements for the game?
A: The hardware specification is important [to the success of any game].
Developers know that. Surprisingly, the requirements will be low. I
bought my computer 2 years ago and haven’t upgraded yet. It will be a
while until the release of Blade & Soul, and wouldn’t gamers upgrade
their machines for Starcraft 2? (smile)
From inven.co.kr’s article:


Q: Since you developed Lineage 2, what are some similarities
between L2 and B&S?
A: I was the lead developer in Lineage 2 project and am currently the
production director of Blade & Soul. They are similar in genre;
they are both MMORPG. However, I want to try something different.
Combats, gears, items, and quests will be very different from that of
conventional MMORPGs.
Q: The game stresses a lot of action–or PVP. But, I highly
doubt you can start PVP at level 1. Is there a level cap? And, when or
at what level can players enjoy the PVP action and how much?
A: Everybody has a different experience with games. Adjusting that
cut-off line is a very delicate subject. We can’t solve it by simply
adding a tutorial so we’ll see what happens in beta tests.
From mud4u.com’s article:


Q: What’s the general storyline?
A: We’ll release more information about the world later on. Simply put, 4
races, in the post-genesis world, fight against gods to revert the
world back to the state before the genesis.
Q: How important are consumable items such as potions and
gears?
A: [...] We are focusing more on weapons(swords) than armors. That’s
more martial-art-like. There will also be enchantment or strengthening
options. Instead of potions, we are looking into healing skills. There
is no specific healer class. Status–as in HP and MP–will be maintained
through different methods.
Q: Will there be mounts?
A: We planned it. However, we have not worked out the details. We are
not going to include free flying. Basically, we will leave [the option
of traveling] up to the user. For example, if you are a low level and
want to cross a river, you have to find a bridge. However, at a higher
level, you can just jump over the river. [...] This is the main
difference between martial-arts and fantasy genres.
Q: Will NCsoft introduce Blade & Soul in foreign markets?
A: We are in the phase of development and never considered marketing
elements. So far, the interaction among the foreign offices and the
headquarter was limited to sharing what we created here(Korea). To our
surprise, the game was well received in other countries. The game is
still premature, and it is too early to share it with foreign testers.
If we reach that point, we will consider it.
Here is the TIG’s video interview. This one seems more exclusive.
Most of the questions were already covered in the 47 Q&A, but some
were not.


Q: Are you planning to reveal more characters?
A: There are 8 classes and 2 are revealed today(**NOTE: This is
confusing. There was no mention of any class in the video, but two
races. But, he previously said there will be 4 races… huh?). We showed
you two classes: one that uses sword and another that uses fists.
Q: Is there a mage or healer class?
A: We will not follow the traditional RPG class system: tank, healer,
ranged DPS, and melee DPS. Our classes will be blends of these
archetypes.

Akuma wrote:is that an I pad i see ._.